CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (no contrast)

Facility: Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center

Billing Code: 70551 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$436

about 1.8× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $334–$468

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$415

About the fair price

about $21 under the fair price · 1.7× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $436 This hospital $415 Cash price $1,301 Hospital's list price $2,002

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other WA hospitals

Highest price of the 9 WA hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.

Cheapest $78 Priciest $415

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 WA hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.

⚠ The cash price looks unusually high next to the insurance price — it may be the full list price, not a real cash discount. Call to confirm the self-pay rate.

A fair price for a MRI, brain (no contrast) is about $436 (about 1.8× the $244 Medicare rate). Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center charges insurers about $415, or about $1,301 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Vancouver, WA.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

4 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Cigna✓ Kaiser Permanente UnitedHealthcareHumana

Crossed out = this hospital hasn’t published a negotiated price for that insurer for this procedure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepted — ask your insurer.

Insurance company	Price range	vs. Medicare
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$657 - $963	270%
Aetnamajor	$228 - $279	94%
Cignamajor	$292 - $652	120%
Kaiser Permanentemajor	$532	218%
Health Net	$282 - $776	116%
Moda Health	$298	122%
PacificSource	$284 - $649	117%
+ 1 smaller / regional plan	$274

Self-Pay How to get the cash price

Tell the billing desk you want to be billed as self-pay — not through insurance — before your visit.
Ask for the cash / prompt-pay discount in writing, with the exact price (about 1,301), before you agree to anything.
Get it in writing that they won’t also bill your insurance, so the cash price is what you owe.
Check the CPT code on your bill matches exactly: 70551.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 70551.
Confirm the doctor or provider is in-network too — not just the hospital building.
Check your Explanation of Benefits against the hospital’s final itemized bill.

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost

A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.

How you’d pay

Deductible left to meet ($)

Your coinsurance (%)

Enter your details and press estimate to compare.

Other Procedures at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center

Compare: MRI, brain (no contrast) at other WA hospitals

Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.